Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. The ideal client is someone who is ready to take action. I work with clients who are prepared to put in the time and effort to make positive changes in their life.
Yes. These services are not suitable for individuals under the age of 13. These services are also not suitable for individuals looking for a diagnosis, prescription medications or having thoughts/plans of suicide.
Each session is conducted via video or phone for 50 minutes. We will kick off our sessions with an initial discovery session where we discuss your concerns and goals. Homework is often provided at the end of our sessions. For each session thereafter, we will spend the first 5 minutes reviewing your homework (what went well, what went poorly). Therefore, homework is expected to be completed as accurately as possible since your gains and next steps will depend on it. We will then focus on an important topic for the next 30-40 minutes of the session. We will end the session with a brief summary of what we discussed and set homework for the week.
Each session will be conducted via telephone or online through a program called Jane App. This program is HIPPA, PHIPA, and PIPEDA compliant to ensure confidentiality and protection of your private information. Before your first session, you will receive a link via email to access our sessions moving forward.
If you are struggling with choosing between approaches, I recommend you schedule a free consultation and we can figure out the perfect support for you.
Counselling:
- Views mental health as an illness needing treatment.
- Professionals who have undergone years of clinical training and sought qualifications to treat mental health disorders and other concerns like stress, relationships, parenting etc.
- Focus may be the present moment or look into the past to discover the origin of a concern and additional experiences maintaining that concern.
- Counselling may also take a client-centered approach that allows clients to direct the focus of their sessions which may result in unpacking many additional concerns.
- Depending on the complexity of the presenting concern and unpacked/discovered concerns, sessions with a counsellor can last for 6 months or more.
- Counsellors are regulated and require certification with regulating bodies.
Life Coaching:
- Views mental health concerns as disorganization due to a lack of goals and coping tools.
- Takes an action-oriented holistic approach to provide intervention. That means a coach will look at all areas of your life causing or being impacted by your concern (ex. relationships, career, finances etc).
- Focuses on the present moment and future goals rather than delving into the past.
- Uses a short-term approach that establishes actionable steps and tools to achieve those goals.
- A coach does not diagnose, treat or prescribe medications for mental health conditions.
- A coach does guide, inspire and support you in creating the changes you desire.
- Coaching is unregulated and has no licensing body.
I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (C.C.C) who is regulated by the Canadian Counselling Psychological Association (CCPA). The CCPA provides a national designation that evaluates and identifies Master and Doctoral level graduates as qualified to provide counselling services across Canada.
I also hold the Counselling Therapist (CT) title which is regulated through the The Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (ACTA).
Please note: Provinces are now in the works of developing their own independent licensing processes for certain counselling titles. This change which may affect your insurance as well as tax regulation.
My C.C.C and C.T titles are recognized by insurers like Blue Cross, Equitable Life, Sunlife, Manulife, and Green Shield to name a few. However, coverage is dependent on your specific plan and whether you have counselling services selected. It is always wise to check with your insurer to make sure counselling services are reimbursable for you. If counselling services are not selected or your insurer does not cover certified counsellors, you can opt for a Health Spending Account to cover session fees.
Information of Insurers
Samantha Richard CCPA Member # 6542
I am also a Certified Professional Life Coach (CPLC). Life coaching is still an unregulated profession across Canada and the United States. Therefore, coaching services are often not covered by most insurance plans. You may want to speak to you insurer to find out if such services are covered in your plan or via a Health Spending Account.
The Terms and Conditions can be found at the very bottom of every page and is also included in your intake forms. You can also use this link for ease of accessibility.